Memories and Strawberry
by Kyuhyun4Ever
Summary: Ichigo dies after losing his Shinigami powers and goes to Soul Society. He loses all of his memories as a Shinigami, but everyone else still remembers him. Ichigo tries to restore his memories, and discovers someone precious along the way. This story branches off after Aizen is defeated and has nothing to do with the fullbring arc and following arcs. Canon. IchiRuki.
1. Chapter 1: See You Again, Rukia

**Author's Note: Thanks for taking your time to read this story! This is my first fanfic and I really really hope people like it. It's not a oneshot, so there will be more chapters. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, it would have a lot more of Ichigo and Rukia.**

* * *

*beep beep*

Rukia immediately stood up from the bed and swiped her cellphone/hollow detector out of her back pocket. "Ichigo, a hollow appeared near the soccer field!"

The orange-haired teenager whipped around in his chair and opened his desk drawer to grab his Substitute Shinigami badge. "Got it. Let's go!"

The two dashed down the stairs to see Yuzu holding a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. "Hey guys! I was just about to go up to your room and-"

Ichigo and Rukia were out of the house before Yuzu could finish her sentence. Ichigo turned his head back and shouted, "Sorry sis, maybe another time."

The blond-haired middle schooler sighed and set the neglected cookies on the kitchen counter. _Now_ where is he going, she thought.

Ichigo and Rukia finally reached the soccer field, and Ichigo quickly used his badge to transform into his shinigami form. He was met with a crushing headache as soon as his human body collapsed onto the soft grass. _Damn,_ he thought, as he placed a hand on his forehead, _Just a little bit more time..._

**Flashback**

His black robes were tattered and he was covered with bruises and scrapes. Rukia, Orihime, Uryu, and Sado rushed towards him, but his vision blackened and all he could hear were the worried shouts of his friends. Soon he couldn't even hear that. _I'm finally gonna die, huh? _he thought.

But he didn't die. Ichigo opened his eyes to see the concerned stares of his friends in his room. He abruptly sat up on the bed when he realized what happened.

"Aizen! Is he-"

"Don't worry, Ichigo," Rukia interrupted. "Aizen was imprisoned in our highest-level security prison. He can't do anything now."

"Oh," was his only reply.

A long silence took over as Rukia tried to figure out how to word her next sentence.

"Your powers...we heard from Urahara...," she finally said.

Ichigo just looked down at his bandaged hands.

"But your reiatsu hasn't completely faded yet, and Urahara said it won't disappear for awhile if you don't strain yourself," Rukia continued. "The Captain-Commander decided to station me in Karakura so you're not too burdened. At least until you..."

"It's okay guys," Ichigo said with a grudging smile. "I knew what the consequences were. I was prepared to lose my powers."

**End Flashback**

Rukia noticed the flinch on Ichigo's face and knew he didn't have much strength left. She wanted to tell him to stay back but she knew he would just refuse.

Setting up for a large slash, Ichigo readied his Zanpakuto and jumped into midair to charge at the large hollow. He wasn't fast enough, however, and the beast easily swiped him away with a clawed hand.

Rukia quickly deflected a second blow from the hollow and slashed it in half with one strike. The hollow dissolved as she rushed to help her friend.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo propped himself up with his elbows and struggled to stand back up. _Damn it, I'm too slow; I can't even flash step anymore,_ he inwardly cursed. He didn't have much time to fret, though, when another set of urgent beeps came from Rukia's cellphone. As soon as she flipped open the device to see where the new enemy was, they felt a strong reiatsu pushing them down.

They looked at each other worriedly and Rukia knew they were thinking the same thing. _Menos!_

The team sprinted over to Karakura High School to find a pair of Gillian destroying the buildings. At the sight of the two shinigami, Menos No. 1 formed a large red orb in its mouth preparing to obliterate the new intruders.

When Rukia saw the huge mass of spiritual energy ready to be directed at them, she quickly put up her hands to cast a Kido spell and deflect the blow.

"_Hado 33: Sokatsui!"_

A gigantic beam of blue light rocketed its way towards the black hollow. At the same time, the Menos released its Cero and the two bodies of energy collided. Rukia knew that, without the incantation, her spell wouldn't be able to overpower something as powerful as a Cero, but she hoped it would at least negate the enemy's attack. What she didn't expect was for the other Menos to fire a Cero as well.

The second ball of reiatsu streamed passed the explosion caused by the collision and charged its way toward Rukia, giving her no time to cast another spell or draw her sword.

Suddenly she heard a voice. "_Getsuga Tensho!"_

Ichigo, seeing the danger she was in, had rushed in front of her and fired an arc of spiritual energy at the second incoming Cero. However, Ichigo didn't have enough reiatsu to release a strong attack, and the Cero blasted its way through.

The Cero exploded as it found its mark on Ichigo, and Rukia raised her arms to protect herself from the impact and the flying rubble. When the dust cleared, she saw the Substitute Shinigami with his Zanpakuto raised and still standing, though breathing heavily and completely battered.

Ichigo felt even worse than he looked. He knew that he probably just fired his last Getsuga Tensho, and he could feel himself losing a grip on his Shinigami form. As if on cue, his Zanpakuto shattered into a million pieces, and he collapsed on the ground, knowing what was coming. The Cero Blast was too much for his body, but his thin string of spiritual pressure was letting him hang onto life for a little while longer. When the thread broke, he was most certainly going to die.

Rukia knew she couldn't waste time; When the Menos were idle after their attacks, she quickly muttered a spell to bind them from attacking again.

_"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro!"_

Six shafts of yellow light zoomed at each of the hollows, immobilizing them. Rukia took the chance to cleanly split both of them in half, and the Gillian roared as they were defeated. She then remembered Ichigo lying on the pavement and rapidly ran over to her friend's side.

"Baka Ichigo! Don't you dare die on me!" she commanded as she looped one of Ichigo's limp arms over her shoulder. She used her other arm to support him at the waist and started flash stepping towards Orihime's house.

Even with his severe injuries, Ichigo managed to cough out, "S-Stop wasting your t-time. I'm gonna d-die."

Suddenly, tears started streaming out of Rukia's dark blue-grey eyes. "Idiot! You're not going to die! Just hang on 'till we get to Orihime-chan's house. You've survived plenty of fatal injuries before, haven't you?"

Rukia waited for a response, but the weak body she was holding on to was silent. Her eyes widened and she quickly stopped at a building rooftop to lay Ichigo's unconscious body on the ground.

Miraculously, he was still alive and his eyes fluttered open weakly. "Hey Rukia," he said to a now-sobbing female shinigami, "Stop getting your tears on my face."

She kept crying.

"You said Soul Society was a good place, right?"

She just nodded.

"Well, since that's where I'm headed, I guess that's reassuring. Maybe I'll see you again when I get to Rukongai."

Rukia knew there was almost no chance of that.

"Goodbye, Rukia." And he closed his eyes for the last time.

* * *

**Yay!~~ First chapter done! I'm really ambitious for this story (like more than 10 chapters) so if I get good reviews, I will definitely continue this. I know it doesn't have much romance in it, but after I actually set up the plot, there will be IchiRuki fluff. :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW~~**


	2. Chapter 2: River of Flowers

**Author Note: Thanks to everyone who followed, reviewed, favorited, etc. my new story. ^^ Because I'm on break right now, I'm posting chapter two quickly, but after this chapter, I'll be busy with exams. I think I might stick to a weekly schedule, though, so please keep reading. :D**

**As for Fallen Heaven's question...I will be putting romance between Ichigo and Rukia (not just hinting at it) after I set up the plot and the actual conflict. As for other pairings...that's undetermined for now. One pairing that I know will ****NOT**** be in my fic is HitsuHina -_-. I just can't stand Momo's weak character, even I love Hitsugaya. I will be putting in OC characters though, so there _might_ be romance between OC and Bleach characters.**

**Anyway, enough of my blabbering, on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. (sigh)**

* * *

Chapter 2: River of Flowers

A small ray of light seeped through as Ichigo gradually opened his eyes. As he came to, he slowly started to gain the rest of his senses back. He heard a lively clamor of voices; felt a hard dirt street under his back; smelled food cooking on a nearby fire; breathed in the warm air.

Before he could process where he was, a passerby kicked him in the side. "Another one? What are those Shinigami thinking, landing another person in Inuzuri? We're already as overpopulated as it is."

_Inuzuri...?_

* * *

Renji was tired. Tired of watching Rukia mope, that is. The black-haired shinigami was sitting curled up on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were still red and swollen from the continuous crying she had done after coming back to Soul Society. Renji sighed as he leaned his back on the far wall, facing Rukia.

"It's been three days, Rukia," he said. "Time to move on. We have a Vice-Captain meeting this afternoon so you'd better get out of bed soon."

Captain Ukitake had given his Vice-Captain a break after she delivered news of Ichigo's death, knowing she would be of no help while she was dazed and confused.

Rukia wordlessly nodded.

Renji knew he couldn't do much to get her out of her trance, so he quickly left the Squad 13 barracks, hoping Rukia could benefit from some time alone.

While her childhood friend walked away, Rukia stayed huddled in her ball, with her three-day-old images still flashing through her mind vividly. Ichigo's death not only made her reclusive, but also brought back memories of another special person.

"Kaien-dono...," she whispered softly.

**Flashback**

It was all her fault. Again. Sure she didn't pierce her friend through the heart as she did so many years ago, but it was still her fault.

Emotions of regret filled her body as she dragged a motionless body through the pouring rain, getting her hair and shihakusho* completely soaked. She continued to walk until she reached a building. She looked up: _Kurosaki Clinic_. She arrived.

Rukia set Ichigo's body at the doorway and was preparing to ring the doorbell when Yuzu rushed out with an umbrella.

"Where is he, when it's raining this hard?" the middle-schooler fretted. "That Ichigo, always looking for tr-"

Her eyes widened when she saw a body resembling her brother's lying in the downpour. She slowly bent down to touch the body.

"N-Nii-chan?" she whispered, trembling. "Wake up nii-chan. Stop lying on the ground. It's raining. You have to come inside! Wake up!"

By now she was shouting and and shaking Ichigo's body roughly. Karin and Isshin came outside to see what was causing the commotion, and their eyes widened when they saw Rukia standing motionlessly beside Ichigo's body.

"Karin! Yuzu! Get Ichigo back in the house," their dad commanded immediately, while still keeping his eyes on the female shinigami.

The two girls each put one of Ichigo's arms around their shoulders and dragged him inside. Karin stole a concerned glance toward the shinigami and her dad.

When the two were alone, "I'm sorry," was all Rukia could muster.

Isshin took one look at the expression on her face and knew he would not have to ask to confirm his son's death. Rukia told him everything, and when she was done, Ichigo's dad took and deep breath and went back inside.

Before he closed the door, he paused with his back toward Rukia. "When you go back to Seireitei, tell them not to interfere with my family anymore."

With that, Rukia was left in the rain, along with the same sadness she felt many years ago.

**End Flashback**

Everywhere on his body hurt; his head, his side from being kicked, and most of all, his stomach. Ichigo was famished, and no storekeeper was nice enough to give him the smallest morsel. Not to mention the thin, plain kimono he was wearing did not help to keep the sun from mercilessly beating on his back.

He looked around for a shady place he could rest when his eyes landed on a stall filled with mouth-watering steamed buns. _Stealing a little bit couldn't hurt_, he thought. His stomach agreed, as it started rumbling. He slowly made his way up to the food stall, and when the shopkeeper was busy with a customer, he grabbed a handful of buns and ran for his life. When the shopkeeper noticed his absent merchandise, he dropped everything and ran to catch the orange-haired boy.

"Stop right there, thief!" he yelled while waving a large pole in his hand.

With his low energy supply from being food-deprived for so long, Ichigo couldn't run very fast or for very long. The old guy was gaining on him, but suddenly he heard a loud thump accompanied by an "Ouch!" behind him. He turned around to see the shopkeeper on the ground rubbing his behind and a girl that was roughly the same age running towards him.

"Come on, this way!" she motioned with her hand.

Ichigo was only confused for a moment before he started to follow the mysterious girl to what looked like an abandoned hut. As soon as he reached the inside of the shelter, tiredness overwhelm him and he promptly fell flat on the straw floor, dropping the food he had been so dearly clutching.

When Ichigo finally regained consciousness, he felt a soft texture on his lips. It smelled delicious. He also heard a voice.

"Hello? Orange-san?"

_Orange-san? Oh, that's me._

Ichigo opened his eyes to find a teenage girl looking down at him, holding a steamed bun to his lips.

"Here, eat up. You're hungry." It wasn't a question.

Ichigo took a tentative bite and tasted deliciously soft dough and sweet bean paste. Before he sank into the euphoria of finally tasting food, he realized he had no idea who his savior was.

"Who are you? And where am I?" he asked cautiously.

The girl smiled. "My name is Yumi. Yumi Hanagawa. Welcome to Rukongai."

* * *

***Shihakuso - the black kimono that shinigami wear**

**My first OC character is introduced. I hope you guys don't find her too annoying when she becomes love rivals (sort of) with Rukia. (*gasp* spoiler :O) XD**

**I called this chapter "River of Flowers" because Yumi's last name is made up of the characters for flower and river. (Trying to be deep :D)**

**If you have any ideas for pairings (no yaoi please XD), please let me know by reviewing.**

**Remember, reviewing is your friend~~**


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

**Author's Note: Yay~~ Third Chapter is here. For those that may not know, I'm going to release a chapter every week, probably during the weekend, when I have time.**

**Some people have asked about Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, etc. I will put them in the story soon. ^^**

**Disclaimer: Oh, Bleach. I don't own you. -.-**

* * *

Chapter 3: Reunion

Rukia got up, hooked her Zanpakuto back to her white obi sash, and took a deep breath. After a couple of days of wallowing, she was ready to get back to her duties. Just as she was about to march out of her room, Kiyone suddenly charged in.

"Vice-Captain, the Captain just called for you to meet in his office," the 3rd-seat officer said.

"The Captain did?" Rukia curiously inquired.

She fast-walked her way to Captain Ukitake's office, thinking what he would need her for as soon as she got up from bed. She slid open the shoji door and sat down in front of her superior.

"Did you call for me, Captain?"

Ukitake quickly got to the point. "There's been an unusually high number of hollow sightings in Rukongai, and for some reason, almost all of them have been concentrated at Inuzuri."

"Eh, Inuzuri?"

The Captain nodded. "Right. That's why I want you to go to Inuzuri and investigate the situation. Since you grew up there, I thought you would know the area best."

Rukia realized this mission was a good way for her to keep her mind off of her troubles and get back to her daily routine. "Yes, sir. I'll depart immediately."

* * *

"Get back here, you thief!"

_Here we go again_, thought Ichigo.

He ran while clutching a large jar of water, escaping to where he and Yumi resided. The merchant was catching up, however, and was ready to hit Ichigo with a huge bat. He swung, but Ichigo quickly stepsided the blow.

It seemed that, even if he lost all of his memories of the human world, he maintained his quick reflexes, which Yumi predicted he had developed in the real world.

**Flashback** - A few days ago

"So what's your name? Where did you die?" Yumi asked.

After a slight pause he said, "Ichigo...Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo was worried. The name he just uttered seemed to be plucked from thin air. But it seemed right.

_Why is that name so familiar? _he thought.

And then he realized the meaning of her second question.

"D..ie?" he thought he had heard wrong. "I'm dead?"

Yumi nodded. "Yup. Everyone that dies in the human world comes to Soul Society, and this is Rukongai, where most of us live."

She dragged Ichigo outside and pointed to a large tower on top of a tall cliff. "That's Seireitei, where Shinigami reside."

This was a lot to digest for Ichigo, and he just stood silently. He attempted to answer and his mind went blank.

"I can't remember...where I died," he said uncertainly. "I can't recall anything at all..."

Yumi peered at his face inquisitively. "Nothing at all? Not even who your family was?"

Ichigo shook his head.

She pondered it for a while before shrugging. "Don't worry," she said as she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You'll start a new life here."

**End Flashback**

He was almost there when he heard a roar and saw everyone run away. Even the merchant who was chasing him didn't think a jug of water wasn't worth it to bargain his life.

Ichigo turned around and saw a huge beast above him. It had a white mask and was almost as tall as the trees. It was looking for prey and locked his eyes on a person with bright orange hair.

Ichigo lamented his upcoming death. Again.

* * *

Rukia also heard the roar. She followed the direction of the reiatsu and took out her Zanpakuto.

_"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki! Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!"_

A pillar of light surrounded the hollow and the white light solidified into a cylinder of ice.

Ichigo watched amazed as the ice shattered, taking the monster with it. He then saw a female clad in black robes, and realized she was a shinigami.

He made her way to the black-haired girl to say a word of thanks.

Rukia turned to survey the scene and was relieved when she saw no one injured or dead. Her eyes met with an orange-haired male who was walking towards her. It was only after a few seconds before she realized who she was facing.

Ichigo bowed in front of her. "Thank you, Shinigami-san."

Rukia put her hands on his shoulders with wide eyes. "I-Ichigo."

She couldn't believe her eyes. She found him, just like he said they would

* * *

_**Mae, Sode no Shirayuki -**_** Dance, Sleeve of White Snow**

_**Some no Mai, Tsukishiro - **_**First Dance, White Moon**

**Oooohh, the suspense. XD**

**While you wait for the next chapter, give this one a review. ^^**


	4. Chapter 4: The Resolution

**Author's Note: Phew! That was long. Some of you were complaining about the super short chapter last week, so I present, a longer chapter.**

**And without further ado, Chapter Four!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, especially Bleach.**

* * *

Rukia was absolutely elated to see her friend right there in plain sight. Before she comprehended what she was doing, Rukia threw her arms around Ichigo's neck.

"I'm so glad to see you," she choked out with a smile.

Ichigo just stood there with his heart beating rapidly, not knowing whether or not he should wriggle his way out of the girl's embrace.

Rukia noticed his unresponsiveness and came out of her hug to look at him straight in the face.

"Ichigo?" she asked. "Are you alright?" It's me, Rukia."

Ichigo was confused. He had no idea what a complete stranger was doing, staring at him so intently. Moreover, the way she clutched him tightly and the way she was talking made it seem like they were familiar with each other.

"Do I... know you?" he asked hesitantly.

Rukia's heart plummeted as she processed Ichigo's previous statement. She started forming millions of questions that swirled and jumbled around in her mind. _He doesn't remember me? Why doesn't he remember me? Where has he been? Has he been living well? What's he doing now?_

Before she could inquire about Ichigo's well-being in Soul Society, she heard a voice coming from behind Ichigo. She leaned over his side to see who the voice originated from.

"Ichigo! Why are you taking so long? You alright?"

A girl around Ichigo's age walked to the two of them, while trying to get her breath back, as if she had been running around looking all over for him.

Ichigo turned around. "Yumi! Why are you here?"

"You idiot!" she said. "You've been gone for almost an hour now. Don't you think I'd worry?"

_Yumi? So they know each other? A million more questions accumulated in Rukia's head._

Yumi then saw the shinigami behind Ichigo and looked back up at him, expecting him to introduce the two females to each other.

"I'm Rukia, Kuchiki Rukia," the female shinigami said, before Ichigo could say he didn't know her. She stuck out a hand, and gave what she hoped was an amiable smile.

"Yumi, Hanagawa Yumi." She shook Rukia's hand and looked at her with mild curiosity.

"Sorry for the delay. A weird monster thing appeared, but she saved me," Ichigo said, while pointing to Rukia.

He turned back to the raven-haired girl and gave a slight bow. "Thank you again."

His formality made Rukia clench her fists tightly at her side, wanting to punch the stupid strawberry for not remembering him. _That idiot. After all we've been through, he can't remember an ounce of it!_

But of course she didn't say that out loud. "No problem. It's my job," she simply stated, as she forced herself to walk away.

When Rukia left, Yumi turned to Ichigo. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," he replied. And he dismissed the thought from his mind.

* * *

Renji thought Rukia looked a little mad. In fact, her faced had been scrunched up in a frown for a while now, and she was muttering inaudible phrases to herself. She had just come back from her patrol in Inuzuri and was stomping with a huff to her Captain's office to give a report.

Renji ran to catch up with Rukia's fast pace. "You ok? Did something happen in Rukongai?

"Huh?" Rukia paused and stopped her muttering. "Oh, nothing," she replied with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

She resumed her marching, leaving Renji suspicious of her vague answer.

* * *

"Ah, Rukia-san. Come in." Ukitake motioned for Rukia to take a seat. "So, what was the situation in Inuzuri?"

"I saw a hollow, but I could not determine why they were there, or if someone had sent them," she said. "I will regularly patrol the area to assure nothing suspicious or dangerous is going on."

Captain Ukitake nodded in agreement. "It's too early to assume someone is behind this, but we should still be careful."

Rukia looked down and made a worried frown. She knew she should tell her Captain the other thing that happened, but she refrained from saying anything.

Ukitake glanced at Rukia's body language and knew she was hiding something. "Do you have anything else to report," he inquired.

"Eh? Nothing else, Captain," she replied quickly.

**One Week Later**

Ichigo's stomach grumbled loudly as he walked through the marketplace. He stared at the deliciously steaming food in the stalls, his mouth watering. Meat was sizzling on a grill, and shiny fresh fruit was placed temptingly on display. Not that he could afford any of that.

Seeing that their food supply had been almost depleted, Ichigo had refrained from eating all day and was now wearily walking through Inuzuri, hoping to find a easy store to steal from. Usually he would grab the first food item he saw and run away easily, but seeing as he had no energy left, he wanted to search for an easy target.

Ichigo made eye contact with one of the storekeepers who he had stolen from before, and the old man gave him a hard glare that could kill. The teenager sighed._ Looks like no more food today,_ he thought, and he started walking back to the hut where he and Yumi lived.

As he turned around and started to trudge back dejectedly, Ichigo saw a familiar short, dark-haired shinigami talking to someone. The girl looked up and her gaze went to Ichigo. In response, Ichigo waved and she smiled back.

"Kuchiki-san!" he said as he walked over to Rukia.

_Did he just call me Kuchiki-san? He won't even address me by my first name anymore?!_ Rukia tried hard to keep the smile on her face as she said. "Hello, Ichigo. We meet again."

"I heard that shinigami don't usually interact with Rukongai residents. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I've been assigned here because of the suspicious hollow sightings in the district."

"Hollows? So that's what those monsters are called."

She nodded, expecting Ichigo to have forgotten the term. "Right. They are souls in the human world that-"

Rukia stopped when she heard a large growl coming from Ichigo. He placed his hand on his stomach and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. I haven't been able to eat anything."

Even though Rukia had experienced nagging hunger during her time in Rukongai and completely understood what Ichigo was suffering, she had to grin along with him.

"It's ok. Come on, I'll show you a great way to find food." She motioned with her hand to follow her.

Rukia led them to a wide, sparkling stream surrounded by a lush green meadow. Ichigo walked to the side of the stream and leaned over the bank. Fish were darting to and fro through the water, and his stomach made another noise as he thought of having fish over a fire for dinner.

Rukia rolled up her sleeves and the bottom of her kimono and stepped into the water. Her eyes carefully scanned the water's surface, and after a few seconds she found her target. She plunged her hands into the water and triumphantly lifted up a wriggling fish to show Ichigo.

He nodded in understanding and got into the water as well. Just like Rukia, he looked for his prey, and at the right time, tried to grab it, but instead of succeeding, the fish slipped out of his grasp and he tumbled on his back into the cold stream.

Rukia laughed at his unfortunate stumble as Ichigo's face turned bright red. She stuck out her hand to help him up.

"It takes a lot of practice to get it right. Don't worry," she said grinning.

"I'm gonna master this today," he claimed, determined to catch enough to satisfy his stomach. _And Yumi's too_, he thought.

Hours later, the sun was setting and the stream reflected the glittering the pink sky. Ichigo and Rukia sat in the meadow with a small pile of fish next to them. Ichigo nodded approvingly to his first catch; it would be plenty for him and Yumi.

He turned to thank Rukia again for helping him. He paused, however, when he saw her side profile. Her features shined brightly against the dimming light. Her eyes sparked along with the water; her nose and mouth were etched against a beautiful setting sun. He realized that his shinigami friend was very _pretty. And familiar._

_That black hair, those small hands, even her sword. They look so familiar._

"Have I...met you before?" he asked, still intently gazing at her.

Rukia's eyes widened and quickly turned her head. "I...I don't remember you," she whispered.

He lowered his eyes at her answer, reflecting on how dumb that question was._ Of course we've never met before. When would I have-_

"But I do know someone a lot like you," Rukia said. "He was probably one of the best friends I've ever had."

She turned her gaze toward the large white tower rising above Seireitei.

"In fact, when we'd only known each other for a few months when saved my life."

"Where is he now?" Ichigo inquired.

"He's dead," Rukia replied bluntly. "And it's my fault."

The conversation ended there. Rukia lowered her head, and Ichigo could tell she would not say anymore.

* * *

That night, Ichigo was haunted with nightmares. Scenes flashed by him that he couldn't recognize. He saw himself getting pierced with a sword; slashing a hollow; being injured by a red-haired person he didn't know; helping a girl that looked a lot like Rukia; battling a mysterious man; getting hit with a red and black beam.

He woke up in a cold sweat and was breathing heavily. Ichigo was so confused. _What were those images? Why was Rukia in my dream? And that red and black light? Is that how I died?_

Yumi woke up at the rustle of Ichigo's bedsheets. She opened her eyes to see him walking outside.

Ichigo saw that she was awake and said, "I'm going to get some air."

Outside, Ichigo tried to clear his jumbled mind. He kept thinking of the repeated images of Rukia in his nightmare. Was I just imagining her? Rukia said we've never seen each other. But those events seem so real.

Ichigo thought to the time when Rukia had suddenly hugged him._ Why did she do that?_

He went back inside after a few more minutes. In that time, he made a decision. He saw that Yumi was still awake, and decided to ask his question now.

"How do I become a shinigami?"

* * *

**Ichigo's finally going to become a shinigami again. YAY!**

**Btw, for those weird-minded people (like me) Ichigo and Yumi don't sleep on the same bed. -.-**

**See that button down there? Please click it guys! So you can say stuffs about my fanfic. :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Renji's Reunion

**Author's Note: Phew! Finished in time. I might not be able to publish a new chapter for the next few weeks because I'll be extremely busy with AP exams. I'm writing this live, so I probably won't have time to get another chapter done in a week. But, after the second week of May, I'll be able to post more often. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: None of Bleach belongs to me. :P**

* * *

Chapter 5: Renji's Reunion

Yumi immediately stood straight up when she heard Ichigo's question.

"No! You can't" she shouted abruptly.

Ichigo was taken aback by her fierce response.

"Huh, why not?" he asked.

Yumi also seemed to realize how sharp her tone was and settled back down on the edge of her bed.

"You...just can't," she answered lamely. "It's too dangerous. Yeah, that's it! It's too dangerous. You could get killed. We can just stay here and-"

"And just live miserably for the rest of our lives?"

Ichigo scrunched up his brow in concentration and soon, a large orb of light blue reiatsu was floating in his hand.

"This," he said, pointing to the ball in his hand. "is what is cursing us. We starve and become thirsty, while other normal people never have to worry.

The blue light disappeared and Ichigo pointed to his right.

"If we become shinigami, we'll actually have stable lives. Over there, in Seireitei."

His voice faded a little. "And there's something else, too. You know that girl I was with after the hollow was killed? She seems..so familiar. She has to know something about my memories."

Yumi was still firm in her decision. "You don't need your past memories. You can just make new ones. There's no need to go anywhere," she protested.

"Yes there is! It was you who said that people who die don't naturally lose their memories. There must something that erased mine, and I intend to find out who. If won't tell me how to become a shinigami, then I'll just have to find out some other way."

Ichigo turned around and walked out the door, leaving a speechless Yumi behind.

She laid back down on the straw mattress, and a flood a memories came back to her.

**Flashback**

_Ten Years Ago_

"Hey Onii-chan! Are you really going to that big white place to become a shinigami?"

"That's right, Yumi. Now I'll be able to protect you even without Mom and Dad."

"But I'll be so lonely. You have to come back every school break, okay?"

"Don't worry. I'll even bring back some delicious candy for you."

He ruffled the little girl's hair and ran off, turning back once to wave goodbye. The girl waved back as well, trying hard to prevent tears from streaming down her face.

_Nine Years Later_

"Let go of me, Yumi!"

"No! I won't! What are you thinking? You said you would protect me. This isn't it!"

"You may think this is bad now, but this is for a better future. We lost our parents before you could even walk, so we had to survive by ourselves. We've suffered too much already. With Aizen-sama on the throne, no one will have a harsh life."

Yumi gave her brother a hard slap to the face. "You idiot!"

"I'm doing this for you."

**End Flashback**

_Sora._

Yumi sat up again, with a new resolve.

_Ichigo, I'll be the one to protect you now._

* * *

Ichigo finished changing and dusted off his new uniform. It was a standard shihakusho with a blue shitagi*, a white kosode* with blue stripes, and a blue hakama*.

Yumi finished changing as well. Her uniform was identical to Ichigo's except the color scheme was red instead of blue. "Come on, Ichigo. We'll be late."

She dragged Ichigo out of the house they had lived in for two months.

"Wait a minute, Yumi."

Ichigo paused in front of their residence. They didn't live in the best of places, but it was still home. He stared at the mud walls, the cold concrete floor, the small rickety wooden table inside, the thin roof that always leaked when it rained. Now he was going to leave forever.

He took one last glance and then said, "Okay, let's go."

The academy was enormous. Ichigo and Yumi pushed open the huge black double doors to see a vast grassy courtyard leading to various school buildings. Crowds of new students gathered under the tall cherry blossom trees, excited for the new term. A bell rang, signaling the start of the school day and the crowds merged together and moved toward the Great Hall. Ichigo and Yumi hurried to follow.

Both of them slowly adapted to shinigami life. During the weekdays, they would be in class, learning the art of kido, hand-to-hand combat, and sword wielding. Yumi was phenomenal at spell-casting and always hit her target. Ichigo, on the other hand, could barely control his spiritual pressure.

On the first day of sword-to-sword combat practice, however, Ichigo found his talent. When the professor announced their first day of practical training, all of the students groaned. Ichigo's sighed inwardly when he was handed a wooden sword first. He was prepared to have a mountain of bruises when class was over. The students sat on the wood floor, leaving a large circle in the middle for the two picked to fight.

His opponent charged first, with the blade over his head ready to strike. To his amazement, Ichigo dodged the slash easily by ducking to the side and sent the hilt of his sword into his opponent's stomach. A murmur fell through his classmates as his opponent fell to the floor. The professor applauded as well.

"Well done, Kurosaki-san," he said. "Would you like to go again?"

Ichigo nodded. He felt an excitement when he fought and he was eager to face another opponent.

For the rest of the class period, Ichigo fought against almost all of his classmates and rose as the victor everytime. He couldn't believe how easily he parried every strike or how quickly he found an opening to attack. His professor marked him a natural in swordsmanship.

He became so well known among the first-year students that many of them challenged Ichigo to sparring matches on the weekends.

During one of those weekends, when Ichigo was practicing with one of his friends in the training grounds, he heard an excited clamor behind him. Floods of people had gathered in a line, and it seemed that there were looking at something.

"Hey Akira. Do you what they're doing?" Ichigo asked his friend.

"Ah, it must be that time. One of the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is coming to observe the academy students," Akira replied.

_A captain?_ Ichigo merged into the group as well, eager to see what such a high-ranking shinigami looked like. Because he was so tall, Ichigo could easily see over the top of people's heads and get a clear view.

He first saw a shinigami with jet black hair and white hairpieces on the back of his head. He was wearing a white haori over his black shihakusho inscribed with the kanji* for "six" on the back; Ichigo assumed he was the Captain.

Behind him was another guy with flaming red hair tied back in a ponytail with a badge that had the same kanji tied to his sleeve, similar to Rukia's; Ichigo knew he was a Vice-Captain.

Ichigo stared at them for a long time as they walked past the throngs of people gathered to see the high-ranking shinigami. They gave off the same "familiar" vibe as Rukia, but as with Rukia, he couldn't figure out why.

* * *

Renji was trying hard not to yawn._ What a boring assignment_, he thought. Surveying the academy was so mundane. Tons of people gathered around them, making him overly conscious of his every move. Teachers bragged about their best students, hoping to increase those students' chances of being admitted to a squad after graduation. All in all, a fairly boring job.

Renji scanned the students lazily, but his eyes widened when he saw a head of orange peak out of the crowd. He looked more closely. Renji was shocked to see a face exactly like Ichigo's.

* * *

shitagi - the undershirt of shinigami robes

kosode - goes over the shitagi

hakama - trousers

**Renji sees Ichigo. What will happen? O.O**

**I actually wanted to write more, but I have homework to finish. Q.Q**

***Does the "please review" dance* :D**


	6. Chapter 6: Uncertain

**Author's Note: Well this chapter is definitely long overdue. But hey, at least it's here. ^^;**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Uncertain

Renji was almost certain his eyes were crazy. Ichigo couldn't be here! He stopped walking and slightly craned his head to confirm. Yup, that was was Ichigo; he didn't know anyone else with that bright orange hair. Still, it was pretty impossible.

After Rukia came back to Soul Society in shock, it was expected that no one would ever hear of Ichigo assumed that he was brought to Soul Society, but it was virtually impossible to find him the midst of such a large population of souls. But right here, right in front of him, was the missing person.

Byakuya noticed the absence of his subordinate's footsteps and stopped walking as well. He was about to order Renji to keep walking, until he saw where he was gazing. After a momentary glance, he kept walking, ordering Renji to follow.

"But Captain, that's-" Renji protested.

"Hurry up, Renji," was all that Captain Kuchiki said.

The Vice-Captain reluctantly walked away, but kept stealing glances back. He was now really confused. Ichigo was clearly looking at him, as everyone else was, and he stared Ichigo right back in the eye, but the latter never acknowledged his existence. It was as if Ichigo didn't even recognize him.

That night, as he was going back toward the Squad 6 barracks, Renji was still pondering his encounter with Ichigo._ Doesn't he know me? Why is he in the academy? Does he plan to become a Gotei 13 member?_ That last thought struck him as he suddenly crashed into something.

"Renji! Watch where you're going!" Rukia complained as she massaged her head.

"Eh? Oh, sorry Rukia. Guess I wasn't paying attention."

Rukia stood up and examined her friend.

"Are you okay? You've been out of it since you came back from the Shinigami Academy."

Renji's thoughts from the morning came swirling back._ Ichigo's going to be a real Shinigami_. He's coming here.

He felt an aching pain in his chest when he realized what that meant. It was Ichigo who stole his best friend away from him, and even almost got her killed. It was Ichigo who then saved her, and now they shared an unbreakable bond. Now it was going to happen again. Rukia would spend all of her time with Ichigo, and Renji would be left alone again.

He looked at the beautiful face that was staring up at him. Then, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in for a tight hug. His long arms slid across her small back, not intending to let go for a long time.

Rukia was startled at the sudden embrace and tried to push him away.

"Renji, what are you-"

"Don't go anywhere, Rukia. Stay here. Please." He said with his head on her shoulder.

She stopped struggling and laughed at the ridiculous statement. "Why would I go anywhere?"

"Just promise me, okay."

"Alright, I promise." She wrapped her arms around Renji's back as well.

"C'mon Ichigo! We're going to be late."

Yumi dragged a reluctant Ichigo down the hallway.

"This new class sounds really boring. Haiku? When would you ever need to write a haiku in your life?" Ichigo complained.

"Well, it's a required course so no skipping. Besides, you should always expand your skills."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at Yumi's reply. Of course she would be eager for this class.

He let her lead him to the classroom. After they sat down, Ichigo was able to soak in his surroundings. There were rows and rows of long brown wooden tables facing a tall and a white screen. Students were scattered around the large room chatting before class started.

The chatter suddenly died down when a person, assumedly the teacher, walked into the room. He had shoulder-length blond hair, with long bangs that covered his left blue eye. He had on the regular Shinigami garb and carried a stack of books under his arms. He slammed his books down on the teacher's desk and looked at the students with a fierce stare.

"I'm your teacher, Kira Izuru. This course is not a blow-off class," he proclaimed. "Just as in your other classes, you will have to put in effort to pass."

He pulled out a class roster from between the stack of books to take attendance.

He quickly called through the list of names, until he got to around the middle of the list.

"Kuro-" he paused. "Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Present," he said.

Izuru stopped to see where the voice had came from. He widened his eyes when he saw the orange-haired figure he would've never expected to meet, and in here of all places! Realizing that he had paused for a fairly long time, Izuru continued to call out the rest of the names.

That afternoon, when school was over, Izuru immediately rushed to his captain's office.

Rose looked up find his Vice-Captain staring at the floor nervously.

"What is it, Izuru?"

"Well...today Kurosaki Ichigo was in my class at the Shinigami Academy. "

"You can't be serious," Rose said while laughing. "Has the summer heat been getting to you lately?" he teased.

"I'm not joking, Captain. I fully saw him sitting there; I was shocked when I saw his name on the class roster."

Rose paused before replying, "Well, this is serious then."

He stood up.

"For now, keep this a secret. We don't want rumours to spread; there's already enough trouble with those uncommon hollow sightings in Rukongai. The Captain-Commander needs to know about this first. I'll be sure to bring it up at the next captains' meeting."

Izuru nodded and was about to leave when he recalled something else peculiar.

"Wait, captain. There was something else that was strange. Ichigo-san should've known me, but he didn't give any sign of recognition."

Rose frowned. This was getting more and more curious.

"We will now start the Captain's meeting," Yamamoto proclaimed.

Before anyone could speak, Rose repeated the information Izuru gave him.

"What's the problem," Kyouraku replied nonchalantly. "It's not surprising that he enrolled into the academy, considering the power he had in the human world."

"What are you talking about?" Soi Fon protested. "Obviously it's abnormal that his memory was affected when he appeared in Soul Society."

"Do you think Ichigo's appearance and the hollow sightings have anything in common?" Hitsugaya questioned.

Yamamoto nodded in agreement. He also thought it was unusually coincidental.

The Captain-Commander turned towards Ukitake. "Ichigo will be assigned to your division once he graduates. Since your Vice-Captain knows him well, she might be able to recover his memory.

"Kurotsuchi, investigate the hollows; see if anything is unusual."

"Soi Fon, find out what connection, if any, that Ichigo has with the hollows."

"Lastly, everyone must keep this top secret. You must not tell anyone of this person, including your Vice-Captains." Yamamoto glanced at Ukitake.

"Dismissed."

* * *

**I am cringing after writing this. It was sooooo hard trying to write Byakuya's lines. He's just so...ambiguous...**

**And that sappy Renji and Rukia part. :P *shudder* (even though I wrote it)**


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